hazmat exercise –planning, execution, and evaluation...“building sustainable capabilities across...

“Building sustainable capabilities across all phases of Emergency Management in Kansas through selfless service”

Hazmat Exercise – Planning, Execution, and Evaluation

Swapan K Saha, PhDEnvironmental Program Administrator

Kansas Division of Emergency Management


Learning Objectives

• EPCRA and Hazmat Exercise• Exercise Design and Development• Conduct Exercise• Exercise Evaluation and Post Exercise Events• Benefits of Regional Exercise


EPCRA• Superfund Amendments and Reauthorization Act became law in

1986. Title III of SARA provisions is known as the Emergency Planning and Community Right‐to‐Know Act (EPCRA).

• Congress required each state to appoint a State Emergency Response Commission (SERC); The SERCs are required to divide their states into Emergency Planning Districts and to name a Local Emergency Planning Committee (LEPC) for each district.

• Each SERC, facilitate preparation and implementation of emergency plans; requires that these plans must include, "methods and schedules for exercising the plan."


Why Exercise?


Why Exercise?

• The CSB learned that the Atchison County LEPC has not directly applied for or received HMEP grant funding for planning or training since 2007. In 2013, it was included in an application to conduct a 12‐county regional commodity flow study

• These training exercises conducted By Atchison county in recent years did not include incidents involving accidental releases of unknown chemicals in the community.

• The LEPC should conduct more pre‐planning and training with chemical facilities in the county to ensure the community is prepared for future incidents.


Why Exercise?

Exercises help to:– Test jurisdiction’s LEOP– Clarify roles and responsibilities– Find resource gaps– Assess jurisdictional and community response capabilities – Test skills and abilities under varying degrees of stress– Identify opportunities for improvement– Improve interagency/jurisdictional coordination


Planning For Hazmat Exercise• Establish the base (Design team‐ Review plan/Assess capability to conduct an

exercise/Resources/Cost & liabilities/Gain support/Scale of exercise)

• Design & develop exercise – Needs Assessment/Participants/Core capabilities/Capability targets

(https://www.fema.gov/pdf/government/training/tcl.pdf)

– Define Scope of the Exercise (Type of emergency, Type of exercise, Functions or Capabilities to be tested, Agency/Personnel involved, Location)

– Draft Purpose Statement (What to Accomplish)

– Prepare exercise objectives (SMART) • Tabletop (3‐5 Objectives)• Functional (4‐7 objectives)• Full Scale (8 or more objectives)


Planning For Hazmat Exercise Cont..– Compose a narrative – outline key points

• Type of event, time, location, what has already happened, what may happen, weather conditions, etc.

– Major/minor events• Major events – problems resulting from the disaster that calls for realistic actions, make a list.

• Minor events – specific situations requiring response.

– Prepare messages• Message for players, media.

– List expected actions• List set of problems or events that would motivate actions from participants.

– Exercise documents (SitMan/EXPLAN, C/E Handbook, Maps, EEG, MSEL)


Conduct and Logistics

• Prepare facility, assemble props and enhancements • Player Briefing, Controller/Evaluator Briefing, Actor Briefing, Safety

Briefing• Track progress/Exercise injects/manage personnel and

resources/safety of participants• Exercise Evaluation

– Determine Evaluation Methodology– Determine if the objectives are met– Rate your findings


Evaluation Objective Examples

• Demonstrate the ability to direct, coordinate, and control emergency activities using the Incident Command System.

• Demonstrate the ability to alert, mobilize, and activate personnel for emergency response and maintain operations until the situation is brought under control.

• Demonstrate the ability to mobilize, track, and demobilize equipment, people, and other resources in support of emergency operations.

• Develop and maintain coordinated action plans to accomplish operational objectives.

• Identify and implement appropriate actions to protect emergency workers and the public.

• Coordinate and disseminate timely and accurate information to the media and the public.


Exercise Evaluation Guide


Post Exercise Events• Conduct post exercise meeting

– Player Hotwash– Controller/Evaluator Debrief/Participants’ feedback/Discussion– Collect Exercise Evaluation Forms/Gather supplemental exercise data

(feedback forms, notes, dispatch)

• After action report/improvement plan– Draft After Action Report (AAR) to present at After Action Meeting

(AAM) – Assign corrective actions to applicable stakeholder organizations/set

target dates for completion • Follow up activities

– Track and implement corrective actions identified in the AAR/IP. – Conduct Improvement Planning Workshops (IPW) with community

partners


Exercise Cycle• Implement List of Actions

– LEOP revision/update to address gaps– Skill enhancement through hazmat trainings– Address resource gaps– Revise MOA/MOU improve coordination’

• Conduct exercise and repeat the cycle


Hazmat Exercise In Kansas

• Several exercise projects were funded through HMEP grants over the past five years

• Approval of HMEP funded exercise projects– Grant review committee reviews subgrant applications– Projects with top scores are recommended for funding– Recommended projects are presented to SERC for approval– Once approved, subgrant applications are included in the HMEP grant

application to PHMSA

• Priorities were given to multi agency/multi‐jurisdictional/statewide exercises


General Observations

• Large/Mid size LEPCs – Have established processes in place.– Accessible resources.– Multiagency/multijurisdictional exercise.– Self directed and/or guided by expert vendors.– Follow Progressive exercise schedule

• Small LEPCs– Limited resources, depends on mutual aid and RRTs.– Need help/guidance with design and conducting exercise.– Primarily depend on contractors’ expertise.– Mostly tabletop or regional full scale exercise.


KDEM’S Initiative

• KDEM Technical Hazards Section administers the HMEP grant program, develops guideline, scope of work, etc.

• KDEM Preparedness Branch assists LEPCs with developing and conducting exercises.– Prepared Exercise Workbook

(http://www.kansastag.gov/KDEM.asp?PageID=193).– Developed Kansas Exercise Tracking System

(https://www.kdemexercises.com/login) to evaluate and certify exercises conducted within the state.

– Assists LEPCs with exercises

• KDEM also develops/conducts multi‐jurisdictional and regional exercises through the Preparedness Branch.


Benefits of Multi‐Jurisdictional Exercise• Explore what regional resources are available. • Assess coordination and response capabilities through mutual

aid and Regional Response Teams. • Test interoperability of communication equipment. • Subject matter experts network and learn best practices.• Increased readiness in the event of an actual emergency.• Provides opportunity for locals to work with decision makers at

the state level. State get to see what assets are available both locally and regionally for future logistical considerations.

• Improvements to emergency plans, procedures, and action checklists are identified based upon the lessons learned from the exercise.


2019 Statewide Tabletop Exercise• In order to reach out to smaller LEPCs:

– Six regional tabletop exercises were conducted in predetermined locations (see next slide).

– Each region included 10‐15 LEPCs.– 4‐6 hour exercise, same scenario developed by Preparedness

Section.– 2‐12 staff from each LEPC participate in the exercise.– Scenario involved chemical release from transportation.– Improvement Plan was developed by individual jurisdiction

based on AAR.– Cost effective.


Kansas Regional Map


Exercise Observations

• LEPCs not being response organization creates confusion.• Overtime/backfill issues cut down participation .• Gaps are identified in the areas of:

– Planning/Training/Equipment/Coordination/Recovery.• Recovery does not stop at evacuation

– Major concerns about long term recovery, shelter/housing, clean up, return, reallocation, etc.

– New PHMSA guideline will allow combining funds to integrate long term recovery aspects

• Actions such as plan update, training, equipment, etc. get delayed due to myriad of factors including turnovers.


Summary

Exercise Project Evaluation:• Need for exercise.• Design and conduct an exercise.• Exercise evaluation and post exercise events.• AAR and IP

KS Exercise Program and Importance of Regional Exercises


Questions

hazmat exercise –planning, execution, and evaluation...“building sustainable capabilities across...

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